Colleagues Defend Officers in Shooting
22-Year Veteran Killed D.C. Teen

By Allison Klein and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, October 7, 2007

The two officers involved in the fatal shooting of 14-year-old DeOnt¿ Rawlings have had "nothing but a stellar history" during their two decades on the force, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said.

James Haskel and Anthony Clay had years of patrol experience before taking on their most recent duties: Haskel as a member of the helicopter unit and Clay as a creator of instructional videos for the department's training academy. Now they are on administrative leave with pay as federal prosecutors examine their conduct in the Sept. 17 shooting in Southeast Washington.

"Haskel has always been a great worker, a great guy, with no discipline problems, no issues," Lanier said in an interview. "The same thing with Clay. He is a nice guy and a hardworking police officer."

The chief's comments were her most extensive yet about the records of the two officers. She said the investigation will sort out exactly what happened in the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE, where DeOnt¿ died after allegedly opening fire on the officers in a confrontation over a minibike. Interviews with the chief, friends, neighbors and colleagues provided new insight into the officers and how they are grappling with events.

Colleagues describe Haskel and Clay as trusted, dependable officers. The Fraternal Order of Police, which represents them, has said the men have been unfairly maligned by neighborhood residents and others in the wake of DeOnt¿'s shooting -- particularly Haskel, whose shot killed the teenager. The union has criticized Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) for picking up the $7,500 cost of the youth's funeral.

The case is a major test for Lanier, who took over the department in December. She is facing pressure from the public and the police rank and file as the U.S. attorney's office, FBI and police investigators attempt to reconstruct what took place. In addition to the criminal investigation, an internal probe will examine whether department rules were broken in the case.

"I'm looking forward to a final outcome of the investigation so we can get a final result and move forward," Lanier said.

The officers, who live near the scene of the shooting, were off duty and acted on their own to search for a minibike that Haskel believed had been stolen from his home, authorities said. According to police, they encountered DeOnt¿ on the bike, the youth shot at them, and Haskel returned fire, hitting DeOnt¿ in the back of the head in what police described as a running gun battle. Clark fired no shots. D.C. police policy permits the use of deadly force when officers believe they or others are in imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm.

The gun DeOnt¿ allegedly fired has not been found. The minibike turned up days later in Prince George's County -- police have not given details where -- and Clay initially left the scene in Haskel's sport-utility vehicle. Some policing experts have questioned the officers' judgment in venturing out to investigate on their own, as well as Clay's actions immediately after the shooting; he returned 10 to 15 minutes later but without the SUV. Sources have said Haskel urged Clay to leave out of concern that his vehicle would be recognized by residents of the neighborhood and his family might be endangered.

The Rawlings family and several neighborhood residents have said they do not believe DeOnt¿ had a gun, and some people wore T-shirts with an obscene anti-police slogan to the teenager's funeral.

The aftermath of the shooting brought death threats directed at the officers, according to police officials, who cited security concerns in declining to initially identify them. Even today, Lanier will not release photographs of the two.

When D.C. police investigators asked Haskel and Clay to walk through the scene and retrace their steps a week or so after the shooting, they did it just before dawn, when no one was on the streets.

Haskel, 44, joined the department in 1985, and Clay, 43, came onto the force two years later. Neither could be reached for comment through their families or their attorney, Robert Ades.

Both officers began their careers working patrol in the 1st District, a fairly busy area including Capitol Hill and RFK Stadium.

Clay moved to the police academy in 1992, where he started producing training videos and other audiovisual projects. Haskel went to the special operations division in 2001, where most recently he was a "spotter" in the helicopter unit.

Haskel has earned several awards for crime fighting, including one in 2005. He was in his helicopter on a November night and spotted a suspect who had just committed a street robbery. From the air, Haskel coordinated ground officers, and the suspect was caught.

Retired officer John Cottingham, who worked with Haskel in the 1st District, described him as a solid officer caught in a tragic series of events and "broken up" by the teenager's death.

"Knowing him as long as I have, I know he didn't fire on someone without a good reason," said Cottingham, who has visited with Haskel in the aftermath. "It's pretty hard for him to talk about it. You can't imagine killing someone, much less a teenager."

Cottingham said he believed Haskel made a "hasty decision" in venturing out to find the minibike. "If he had thought it through, he wouldn't have done this," he said.

Haskel's mother, Virginia Haskel, expressed concern about theories suggesting the shooting wasn't justified but said she did not want to discuss specifics of the case.

"He's a wonderful person," she said. "From a child to a grown man, he's never been in any trouble. He's a friendly person in the neighborhood. And he loves children."

Haskel and Clay live near each other in a section of Washington Highlands. Neighbors who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case said the officers share a love of motorcycles and spend a lot of time tinkering with them outside Haskel's garage. The two belong to a motorcycle club and took some vacations together, including a trip to the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston, neighbors said.

Sgt. Gerald "G.G." Neill, a former chairman of the D.C. police lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he is friendly with both Haskel and Clay and understands what they are going through because he was involved in a fatal shooting in 1995 near RFK Stadium.

"One of an officer's worst nightmares is getting involved with shooting a child or an innocent," said Neill, now a narcotics officer. "It's a very difficult situation, and it's made worse by feeling you are alone. You feel like the whole world is against you."

He said he feels confident that the officers will be cleared.

"As I know them, they are both outstanding, community-minded officers, the kind of guys you'd want to have as your neighbor," Neill said. "If it came down to it today, I'd bet my badge they'll be fine when the investigation is done."

Although the officers live in the neighborhood, some residents do not view them as neighbors, said the Rev. Anthony Motley, who runs an outreach center there.

"People are not looking at them as being from the community. They're looking at them as police, and there's mistrust of police," Motley said. "It overshadows any other relationship. They are police, and that's the main thing."